A German man was arrested outside the US Embassy in Berlin Friday morning after attacking security staff and falsely claiming he had a bomb.

The 23-year old man attempted to bring a suitcase into the embassy but was turned away. After punching security staff, he was arrested and told police he had left a bomb inside the suitcase at the front entrance.

The area around the embassy was cleared and a police search of the suitcase found only "personal items."

A police spokesman called the man "psychologically disturbed" but did not have any details on the man's identity.